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 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:56 pm
Malcolm was not strong. As a Senshi, he had magic, but he wasn’t strong. As a civilian, it was so much less so. His muscles were burning by the time he reached his porch, and he was holding his breath like that would give him extra strength. Up the stairs was torture, but it was only six steps, and then he could carefully lower her to the ground, and–oh, the front door was unlocked?
He frowned; there were no cars in the driveway and he knew he’d locked it before he left. He let Daphne know before he lowered her, so she could brace herself on her one good foot, and then opened the door.
The lights were on, he definitely only left the kitchen light on, and–
Oh, he smelled–what was that, french fries?
“Hello,” Soleiyu greeted, sitting atop the dining room table. It was across the room from them; to their left, the living room, with two sofas, a coffee table, and a large flat screen television. To their right, stairs. The kitchen was to the left of the table and out of sight, but the large, fluffy Mauvian was sitting on the table with a bag of food, waiting.
Malcolm didn’t scream, but his heart did skip a few beats and he had to draw in a sharp breath to try and collect himself.
Soleiyu continued, “I brought dinner, come over here and talk. Malcolm tells me you’re not from Earth? I came as soon as I got the text message. I brought food, the last one I met was starving.”
Malcolm flashed a quick smile and moved out of the way so he could close the door behind the both of them. “This is Soleiyu, he’s a Mauvian. I’ll get you another blanket, something warmer. But–please, make yourself ”
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2022 1:09 pm
Bare foot or no, she wasted no time padding across Malcolm's porch to get inside the house and out of the cold. She was still shivering as she got through the door and stood in the room, glancing around, and she still had the blanket tugged tight around her shoulders, but at least now that she was in a heated space, she no longer looked quite so miserable. Malcolm might have started at the Mauvian sitting on the table, but she did not react to his presence other than with a small, polite nod. They'd known that they were going to meet up with him. She didn't know why Malcolm was acting so surprised about it all the sudden. "Hello. I'm Sailor Daphne," she told Soleiyu, stepping closer to the table and the delicious smells that were coming out of those bags. "Or, Linnea is my everyday name and what I assume I should go by if we're still pretending I'm not a senshi?" She sent a questioning look over her shoulder back towards Malcolm. There was still little pretending that she wasn't foreign. Her tail peeked out from under the blankets and wiggled faster again now that she was more comfortable and also actively hungrier."I am starving, yes," she said, and was quickly realizing just how true that was. "Is it polite to eat now, or-?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2022 8:52 pm
Soleiyu nodded and nudged the bag a bit. “It’s polite, eat as much as you want. It’s nice to meet you, Sailor Daphne. Linnea,” he said, respectful of both identities.
Malcolm followed, taking one last look at his door and Soleiyu before he made his way to the kitchen to get drinks. It didn’t take him long to bring two glasses of water over and take a seat at the table. He seemed more interested in answers than he was food.
Soleiyu, the same.
“Tell me about your world while you eat,” Soleiyu insisted. “And I’ll tell you everything I know. Do you have a way to get back there, or…?”
He seemed like he was already mulling something over, but then, he’d also walked to the edge of the table and was looking over at her tail curiously.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:57 pm
Unlike the others, Linnea was much more interested in the food in front of her than in just about anything else. As soon as she had gotten permission, she reached into the bag and brought out a container of fries. Manners had been drilled into her, and that was obvious even now in the way she gingerly laid them out in front of her. She picked up one fry at a time, in between two fingers. Her elbows never hit the table. Despite that, she managed to inhale the entire package in less than a minute. The saltiness made it different from foods that she was used to, but with how desperately she was eating, she barely even tasted it. Her manners also kept her from trying to speak while she ate, so it was only afterwards that she began. "My world is warmer than here. The cities are greener and have more people in them, from what I've seen so far. I doubt my people would be well known on Earth. We keep to ourselves. We trade occasionally, but we try not to have allies or enemies." She spotted Soleiyu peeking at her tail. She didn't mind the attention, but looking at how lush his tail was in comparison made her cheeks warm a hint, and she quickly tucked hers up under the blanket where he could not judge it. "Perhaps we lacked foresight, with that choice. I think we need aid." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, and then her forehead, her eyes fluttering shut. "I don't have a way to get back, but I don't think it's safe to return right now, anyway. Something is happening there. It feels wrong, in my chest. I think it's Chaos." Her sigh was heavy. "It's getting into people's heads. It's like they don't care about each other any more. They're fighting over nothing, killing over nothing. I hadn't seen war until last week, but now it's everywhere. Tonight they came after me." She opened her eyes just enough to squint at the table, because it was like there was something missing from her story, and she just wasn't quite sure what it was.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2022 9:47 pm
Soleiyu was waiting for the girl to choke, and he kept eyeing Malcolm as if he expected him to be practicing the Heimlich Maneuver.
They sat in silence while she ate, but Soleiyu didn’t seem to be uncomfortable. Malcolm always seemed nervous, so he just tapped his thumbs quietly on the table and looked to the Mauvian for guidance.
When she began to speak, their attention was immediately directed completely at her.
“I’ll make you a phone. You’re the second I’ve found that showed up here after that asteroid blew up. Did you see something weird in the sky just before you got here?”
He seemed to be anticipating that the answer was yes, and he pulled a few things out of subspace; the first, a phone, but he kept that next to him and focused instead of some of the other things he’d drawn out. A few tools, a few scrap pieces. He was immediately busying himself, like he’d already found a problem and was working on a solution. “I’m going to guess you didn’t have to worry about blending in anywhere else. I don’t know if you can tell by our friend here,” he nodded to Malcolm, “But the people of Earth don’t have the luxury of tails. You’ll stick out about here. We have as similar Chaos problem, only we’ve got an army of Senshi and Knights here to try and combat them. I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Good news first, there’s a lot of us. We’re able to hold it at bay. Bad news, they were all born here because their worlds are gone. Not gone gone, but in so much decay that they’re not habitable. Some of them have had luck in getting things growing, but,” he shrugged.
“You should stay here. I get the distinct impression that we’re going to have to fill you in on a lot of things. Earth will warm up, it just needs a little time. But, this day and age? Earth doesn’t have allies off world. We’ve lost connection with all of them. And, most of the people here have no idea what sort of war we’re embroiled in. The safest thing we can do is keep everyone unpowered out of it, but. We’ve got our hands full of Chaos here, too. We’ve just got a way to control it, a little bit. A way to hide from it. But, for as long as you’re here, we’re going to have to hide you, too. I can make you something, it’s only going to take a moment. Do you like jewelry? I can make it a necklace, earrings, a bracelet. But it’s something you’ll have to carry with you to help hide you from the Chaos while you’re powered down.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:08 pm
Linnea had no idea how a phone would make it any easier to return to Daphne, but she also wasn't about to question Mauvian technology when there were plenty of other things about this whole situation for her to question. Her eyes were still locked on the table in concentration. Her hands folded just in front of the fry container. "I didn't see," she said, slowly. "There was something else. Something was growing around me, I think?" She blinked, then nodded. It was a blur, but she remembered the feeling of sprouts at her ankles, and then a few seconds later at her waist, and her chest. "Then, something was-" She wasn't sure how to put the feeling of the sensation into words, so she just shook her head, and straightened to meet the Mauvian's gaze again. "I don't understand what you mean about Earth having no allies. Rumors came to Daphne about this planet having some kind of spat with its Moon, but it's still one of the better connected places in the Solar System, is it not? I mean, this is where the Knights train!" She sounded more baffled than anything else, and her lips pressed into a thin line. It was becoming more and more obvious that things were not adding up. Was this some kind of trap, or had the rumors she'd heard simply been wrong? "Also, I don't want to hide my tail," she said, and that was what came out the most petulant. "I like my tail." She poked it out from the blanket again, no longer caring that it was not quite as fluffy as Soleiyu's.
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Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:14 pm
“Well, I like your tail, too, but you look more like a human than a Mauvian so you don’t have that many options to blend in. Trust me, I wouldn’t make the suggestion if I thought there was any way to avoid it. This isn’t going to be as simple as just rallying the forces to help out–we can’t even get everyone together here. So,” he sucked in a breath and tried to figure out where to start.
‘The Beginning’ felt so far away.
She hadn’t answered what jewelry she preferred so he just kept tinkering while he explained, “That’s ancient history. I mean, really. The Negaverse–that is, the Chaos we have here–swallowed up the Knight Academy. Centuries ago.”
He looked up only briefly, and it was when he saw Malcolm’s worried expression that he softened and set down the tool he was using. He gave Linnea his full attention, because this wasn’t just information.
He just had to take a second to put himself in her shoes.
So, he drew in a steadying breath and then explained, quite a bit kinder, “What I mean to say is, I think things might have changed since you last heard about Earth. The Moon has fallen. To our knowledge, the other worlds have fallen as well. We have Knights that have awakened here on Earth, and gone to their Wonders on other worlds–from Mars to Pluto–and there’s no life there. No Senshi, either. So we’ve sort of figured that we’re on our own for the most part. Things aren’t what they used to be. Which is why it’s so important to be careful and know what you’re getting into. There’s a very good reason to want to lie low, especially while we’re still figuring out what’s happened to your world, and what you’ve missed off of it.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2022 2:33 pm
Ancient history? That didn't make any sense. She'd met Knights that had done their training at the Academy perhaps a month ago. Whatever wasn't adding up in her memories was quickly seeming bigger and bigger. It was a strange feeling that washed over her as he continued to talk, detailing the way that other worlds had fallen, to the point that Earth felt like it was all alone in the universe. Not self sufficient and independent, the way Daphne had wanted to be, but completely isolated by the deaths of all the other worlds. She thought, again, about what had happened when she'd found herself surronded and called out to her planet for something, anything. Whatever had been growing around her did not stop at her chest. It had closed over her throat, over her eyes, and then she'd- Awoken, somehow? That felt like the best description for it. Which would mean she had slept. "How ancient?" she asked, a cold feeling snaking its way into her chest. "Tell me. How long ago did the Academy fall, or the Moon? I will be careful and wear your disguise. Earrings. Fine. You need to tell me this, though." On the table, her fingers were trembling.
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2022 8:38 pm
Soleiyu was quiet, as if there was an answer in the silence, but when it didn’t come to her or him, and when Malcolm had nothing good to add, he sighed.
He saw the way her fingers trembled. He thought he could hear the fear in her voice but he didn’t know if he was imagining that.
“I don’t know how your people might different from Earth’s, but lifetimes. Several lifetimes. Many, even. More than a thousand years. And in that time, worlds have fallen. There are some still out there,” he tried to reassure, because there must have been. Velencya was still there, for whatever that was worth. She was here, but she didn’t seem to have much confidence.
He wondered if there was any life on her world. Alastor hadn’t said there was no life on his world, but Soleiyu didn’t quite trust his account of things.
“But we don’t know who else is out there. A Chaos has risen in this world and is trying to take Earth, too. But we’re trying to fight it. The Moon is lifeless, but Earth still has a chance.”
His face had settled into a little frown. “...I’m sorry, Linnea. I wish I had better news for you.”
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 6:31 pm
There was only so much that what he was saying meant. Linnea did not know how long Earth years were. She did not know how long Earth lifetimes were. It didn't stop the cold feeling from growing stronger until it felt heavy, too, heavy in her lungs. Words like lifetimes and ancient made it sound like more than a few moments had passed while she'd been encased in that tree. Worlds had fallen, to the point where many senshi were awakening here. Linnea sucked in a half-formed, shaking breath. She tried to take the information with grace, with poise, in a way that was acceptable for the senshi offworld on a diplomatic mission to do. Her fingers shook anyway. Although, if her planet had fallen- Did it matter? She didn't know anymore, and in any case she couldn't stop herself from collapsing face first on the table and pulling the thin blanket over her head as her breathing grew faster and faster.
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2022 10:16 pm
This time, Malcolm was up before Soleiyu, maybe because he’d seen the way the expressions were changing on her face. He’d been paying attention to her breathing, especially because he’d been paying attention to his own. He would have stopped if he hadn’t forced himself to breath at a steady pace.
“Daphne,” he started, and then corrected, softer, “Linnea. I’m sorry.”
He was. He sounded like it, at least. Emotion leaked into his voice, full of worry and concern.
He put his hand on her back, lightly at first so he wouldn’t alarm her. He rubbed her back like he wished someone would do for him when he was upset.
“We don’t know everything, but you’re not alone here. You’ve got allies. Friends. You’re going to make it through this. We’re going to help you however you can. If you need some time, I can let you borrow my room. It’s safe. There’s a bed, I can get you a change of clothes. You’ll have food, water, shelter. Anything you need, I’m here for you. We both are.”
Soleiyu didn’t disagree, but he doubted he could offer better consolation than Malcolm right now. Still, he moved closer and sat down next to her in a position that almost felt a bit protective.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 4:08 pm
Linnea's back tensed through the blanket when Malcolm first touched her, but then she relaxed against the contact. Her breathing slowed again as she used every ounce of training that she'd been given in order to pull herself together. She was still far from calm, but at least she was no longer in danger of hyperventilating to the point of passing out on Malcolm's kitchen table, or beginning to sob. "Thank you," she managed, although it was still a long moment before she poked her head out from under the blanket again. She kept it wrapped tightly around her shoulders as she glanced from Soleiyu to Malcolm. Her mind felt blank and as if it was rushing furiously towards something all at the same time. Her hands clenched around the blankets and then released again. "Can I go to that bed?" That might have been a strange request, since she might have just been sleeping for a thousand of Earth's years. Yet, it all felt like so much. The memory of her own people chasing her felt fresh, as if it had just happened an hour ago, and now this. At the very least she thought she needed a few moments alone to try to untangle those thoughts.
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2022 8:13 pm
“Yes, of course,” Malcolm said. “It’s in the attic, it’s not a totally conventional layout. I have my computer and desk up there–I–you know what, it’s not important. Come on. It’s my room, but it’s comfortable, and it’s safe. I’ll get you all set up there, for as long as you need.”
He held out his hand for her, but obviously seemed ready to just carry her up the stairs if that would have made it any easier for her.
He looked worried, and sympathetic, and like there were a thousand things he wanted to do and say but he didn’t want to overwhelm her too much.
Soleiyu’s expression was similar, but much harder to read. His brows were furrowed a bit and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. He spoke softly, “Do you want company or do you want to be alone?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 3:44 pm
Computer was the word that stood out the most to Linnea as Malcolm described the layout of his room. At least the world she was on seemed to have decent technology. It might have made things more difficult, otherwise. Although all of that was a side thought compared to the strange, crushing feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her brain. She was going to cry and she knew it. She just had to get upstairs first, and just had to remember to breathe while she did it. She took Malcolm's hand for a moment, just for long enough for him to guide her. "Alone, please," she whispered, and her voice cracked.
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